Method of and apparatus for filling cases with fruit which can be floated



7, 1969 P. M. G. GORIN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING CASES WITHFRUIT WHICH CAN BE FLOATED Filed May 11. 1967 PIErrB M.G. Germ IQRL wloC S United States Patent Int. Cl. B65b 1/04 US. C]. 53-35 12 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of and apparatus for filling caseswith fruit which can be floated, which consist of producing in a tank abuoyant ascent of the fruit above a lifting device momentarily immersedin said tank and carrying the case to be filled, whereby the movement ofthe lifting apparatus, and therefore of the case which it carries, outof the water is accompanied by the filling of said case with fruit.

The present invention has for its object a method and a machine forfilling cases with fruit which can be floated.

This filling operation is preferably contemplated after the sorting andcalibration of the fruit, in order to store it in cold chambers awaitingpacking and dispatch.

The cases are for example of the openwork type of wood, having a squareperimeter, known by the name of Palox.

The method according to the invention consists of producing a buoyantascent of the fruit in a tank, above a lifting device which ismomentarily immersed and carries the case to be filled, the upwardmovement of the lifting device and the case out of the water resultingin the filling of the case with fruit.

The machine for carrying this method into effect is essentiallycharacterized in that it comprises:

A water tank having preferably a perimeter corresponding substantiallyto that of the case to be filled;

A lifting device capable of being moved into and out of the tank;

A closed water-circulation circuit, comprising a pump;

A trough for conveying the floating fruit;

A hydraulic accelerator which precipates the fruit into a lower intakeformed in the tank; and

A gate-valve closing the said intake during the movement of the liftingdevice and the case which it carries out of the water, withoutpreventing the circulation of water.

Other characteristic features and advantages of the present inventionwill be brought out in the description which follows below, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is adiagrammatic view of a filling machine in accordance with the invention.

In the form of embodiment shown, the filling machine according to theinvention comprises a channel or trough 1 terminating on the downstreamside in a mouth 2 having a rounded overflow-chute 3, which communicatesby a channel 4 having a width equal to that of the trough 1, with awater-tank 5 having a quadrangular and preferably a square section.

Inside the tank is disposed, with a clearance, a lifting fork 6, on thetwo arms of which is permanently mounted a roller conveyor 7. Thelifting fork can move along two vertical slides 8.

On the vertical standards 9 of the lifting-fork is fixed a quadrangularand preferably square hopper 10, the opening 10a of which corresponds tothe internal perimeter of the openwork case C which is to be filled with3,470,670 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 fruit, and which rests on the conveyor 7of the lifting fork 6 The hopper 10 is mounted above the case.

A gate-valve 10b is adapted to close the orifice which forms thecommunication between the channel 4 and the tank 5.

A pump 11 having a suitable output takes the water contained in the tank5 and delivers it through a pipe 12 into the trough 1. The pipe 12 isterminated by a diffuser 13, the width of which is equal to that of thetrough 1. A continuous movement of water at variable speed can thus becreated in the direction of the arrow 7 in the circuit: pump 11, piping12, trough 1, channel 4 and tank 5.

The base of the partition 14 which separates the channel 4 from the tankis perforated with holes of predetermined number and section, so thatthe flow of water in the direction 1 is not in any way checked when thegatevalve 10b is closed.

The machine according to the invention operates in the following manner:

The fruit, of the same caliber and taken from a calibrating device, isconveyed by a hydraulic or mechanical conveyor 15 and is transferred,without bruising, into the trough 1 filled with water in motion.

The fruit is then carried towards the overflow 3 (arrow 1) at a speedwhich increases in the inverse ratio of the sections of the channel,until it reaches the overflow 3. The fruit is thus precipitated into thechannel 4, and passes into the tank 5, in which it accumulates at theupper part of this latter. Due to this accumulation, a rise in the waterlevel takes place in the tank 5.

When the volume of accumulated fruit corresponds to that of the case Cwhich is to be filled, a float (not shown) actuates an electric contactwhich initiates the upward movement of the fork 6, by means of anappropriate electro-mechanical device, of the chain or rack type orcomprising any other driving means (this device has not been shown inorder to simplify the drawing).

During the upward movement of the fork, the case which it carriesbecomes filled with fruit, guided by the hopper 10, up to the momentwhen the fork and the case pass out of the water and come to rest in theposition shown in chain-dotted lines, by the rapid break of a contactorof the electric circuit.

During its upward movement, the fork has carried with it the gate-valve10b so that the latter can close the communicating orifice between thechannel 4 and the tank 5 and thereby momentarily stops the passage ofthe fruit. The water however continues to circulate by passing throughthe perforations formed in the base of the partition 14.

The case filled with fruit can be transferred from the conveyor 7 on thefork to an evacuation roller conveyor 16 located at the same level, sothat the fork 6 is then freed and ready to receive an empty case for afresh filling operation. The empty cases are supplied from a rollerconveyor 17 which is also located at the same level as the conveyor 7 ofthe fork.

The fork carrying a fresh empty case can then be automatically immersedin the tank 5 down to the position shown in full lines. The hopper 10suitably holds the case if the latter has a tendency to float.

During the course of this immersion, the hopper 10 of the fork effects,as it passes, the downward movement of the gate-valve 10b and therebyopens the communication orifice between the channel 4 and the tank 5.The fruit then again passes into the tank and the cycle begins again.

The above description has generally only been given by way of indicationand not in any limitative sense, and the invention is capable ofreceiving numerous modifications in conformity with its scope.

3 I claim: 1'. A method of automatic filling of cases with fruit capableof being floated, which consists of producing in a tank a buoyant ascentof the fruit above a lifting device momentarily immersed in said tankand carrying the case to be filled, whereby the movement of the liftingapparatus, and therefore of the case which it carries, out of the wateris accompanied by the filling of said case with fruit. 2. A method offilling as claimed in claim 1, in which the buoyant ascent of the fruitis effected through an inlet located as low as possible below the normallevel of the tank, so as to permit, by passing by the bottom, anaccumulation of the fruit at the upper part of the tank.

3. A method of filling as claimed in claim 1, in which a hydraulicaccelerator is provided on the travel of the fruit upstream of the tank.

4. A method of filling as claimed in claim 1, in which a continuouscirculation of water at variable speed is provided.

5. A machine for the automatic filling of cases with fruit which can befloated, comprising:

a water tank; a lifting device adapted to receive the case to be filled;means for displacing said lifting device alternately into and out of thetank; a closed water-circulation circuit comprising a pump; a conveyortrough for the floating fruit; a lower inlet formed in the tank; ahydraulic accelerator precipitating the fruit into the lower inlet ofthe tank; and a gate-valve closing said inlet during the upward movementout of the water of the lifting device and the case which becomes filledwith fruit. 6. A filling machine as claimed in claim 5, in which achannel couples said conveyor trough and the lower inlet. 7. A fillingmachine as claimed in claim 5, in which the hydraulic acceleratorcomprises an overflow-chute and a mouth disposed between said overflowand the conveyor trough.

8. A filling machine as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising anevacuation conveyor for the filled case and a supply conveyor for thefresh empty case.

9. A filling machine as claimed in claim 5, in which said liftingdeviceis provided with rollers on which the case rests.

10. A filling machine as claimed in claim 5, in which a hopper formspart of said lifting device so as to guide the fruit into the case atthe time of the upward movement of said lifting device.

11. A filling machine as claimed in claim 5, and further comprising:

an electric contactor actuated by said float; in order to start theupward travel of the lifting device and the case carried by said devicewhen the volume of fruit accumulated at the upper part of the tankcorresponds to that of the case.

12. A filling machine as claimed in claim 11, and further comprising asecond electric contactor for stopping the lifting device and the casefilled with fruit when the lifting device and case assembly has passedcompletely out of the water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,507,864 9/1924 Smith 99-711,744,363 1/1930 Chapman 214-309 2,647,670 8/1953 Cox 53-245 X 3,178,8674/1965 Martin 53-248 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,438,333 4/1966 France.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 53-235, 248

